


Satellite Rising

by TheArtisticIntrovert



Category: Persona 5, Yu-Gi-Oh! 5D's
Genre: Idk what i'm doing, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Persona 5 AU, Rating May Change, Realistic, sometimes things that are realistic are worse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-01-15 09:05:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,171
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18495754
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheArtisticIntrovert/pseuds/TheArtisticIntrovert
Summary: Fudou Yusei fully expected to die behind bars, imprisoned for a crime he committed, but treated as a scapegoat for crimes not his own. Follow him on his journey to reform the very world he lives in, finding a way to make things better for those that follow him.





	1. The Facility

The best of things always happen at the worst of times, and this was no exception. After all, gaining the power to reform this twisted society was useless if you gained it within one of the most corrupt prisons in the country. 

 

But I’m getting ahead of myself. This story starts not within that prison, but instead outside of it, on a little island known only as Satellite. This story begins with a man named Fudou Yusei.

 

This story begins with the formation of the gang known as The Enforcers.

 

\--

 

There was no way out of the Satellite. This was fact, something only enforced by the swift, merciless arrest of anyone caught trying to enter the City. In the Satellite, it was power that kept you safe, buying you everything from favor to “fortune”, or at the very least protection. The entire city was ruled by a hierarchy of gangs, ranging in notoriety from practically unknown (like the Tops Down gang) to almost universally feared (like the Stormer gang). The Enforcers fell somewhere in the middle; feared by the less powerful groups, but laughed off, if not completely ignored by the more famous ones.

 

It consisted of four members; Kiryu Kyosuke, Fudou Yusei, Jack Atlas, and Crow Hogan. These four weren’t just friends, but closer than brothers. The team was formed at first as something to do. After all, everyone worth something in Satellite was part of one, but none of the four really felt like being grunts. Maybe it was because they were headstrong teenagers, but they dove headfirst into the underbelly of Satellite, trying to make a better life for themselves. 

 

They didn’t really know what they were doing at first, they just wanted to make things  _ better  _ for themselves. The mere thought of just rolling over and accepting their fate rankled them immensely. Still, they had no power. All they had was their fists and their tenacity. And for a time, that was enough.

 

Until it wasn’t.

 

Kiryu was the first to succumb to the lust for true power. He became more and more ruthless, more reckless, until finally his thirst for control got the better of him.

 

He killed a Security officer, bringing the wrath of Sector Security down upon not just himself, but  _ all  _ the Enforcers. Only Jack and Crow managed to get away, Yusei having stayed behind to try and talk Kiryu down, unsuccessfully. Security ended up arresting Yusei and shooting down Kiryu when he turned to attack them. That night, the streets ran red with unjustly spilled blood.

 

That brings us to now, in the Facility.

 

\--

 

“Fudou, get up, it’s time for rec.” Yusei didn’t react to the sneer in the guard’s voice, instead swinging his legs over the side of his bunk. “Make sure you put those sleeves back on, Fudou. You know the rules on tattoos.” Yusei rolled his eyes, untying the top half of his jumpsuit from around his waist and jamming his arms through the sleeves.

 

_ ‘If you didn’t like tattoos, maybe stop arresting people who have them?’  _ he snarked mentally, but he knew enough to keep his damn mouth shut. The last time he mouthed off to a guard, he got clubbed by a nightstick and tossed in solitary for a day. He had a suspicion that they were taking out their vendetta against Kiryu on him, since Kiryu was dead and he was the only member of the Enforcers they actually had on hand.

 

He shoved his hands through the slot in the door, letting the guard snap the cuffs on him before stepping back to allow the door to open. Idly, he wondered what exactly they thought they were preventing by cuffing him. It’s not like it would stop him from making a break for it, and while he couldn’t throw a punch or swing a blade, there wasn’t anything stopping him from using the chain as a garrote. It was really a testament to how arrogant they were, thinking him cowed. Still, despite all the hardships, he didn’t see a reason to try to escape just yet. He’d been in here for around three years now, so he’d gotten used to how things were.

 

And shitty though the quality was, he still got a roof over his head, three meals a day, and a place to sleep. Why would he attempt something with a nonzero chance of failure, just to go back to living on the streets? No thank you, until something changed he was just fine staying here in the Facility.

 

Lost in thought, he was startled when the door to the yard buzzed loudly, echoing off the concrete walls. The guard unlocked the cuffs before pushing him outside, slamming the door shut as soon as Yusei was clear. He’d be annoyed, but honestly he was used to this. It’s not like he expected a kind touch or even something non-hostile. This was just.....life. He sighed, making his way to his favorite corner. Himuro didn’t seem to be around today, but Yanagi was there, talking to someone with a ridiculous mop of.....bright orange hair?

 

Yusei blinked, rubbing his eyes incredulously. He knew that Crow had been in the Facility before, but that was way back when they were kids. What’s he doing here again? Confused, he decided to just ask. Worst case, it wasn’t Crow, and it’s not like that would do any harm. He waved slightly when Yanagi greeted him, the old man’s sudden distraction making the person with the orange hair turn around. To Yusei’s surprise, it actually  _ was  _ Crow. “Yusei?! Man, it’s been forever! Yo, you’ve been here this whole time?” Crow cried, grinning widely. Yusei smiled slightly, leaning against one of the walls.

 

“Yeah. Been here for three years now I think? Never seen you though,” he said. Crow sighed, ruffling a hand through his hair. Weirdly, the color matched the jumpsuit.

 

“Yeah, this is the first time I’ve been in this wing. You’re in high security, you know? No idea  _ why,  _ but hey, that’s Security for ya,” he muttered. Yusei shrugged, rubbing his arm uncomfortably. Was it always this awkward? “But hey, what happened to your tats? Why’re you keeping them covered?” Crow asked. Yanagi slipped between them, eyes wide.

 

“Bro, you have tattoos?! Why do you never show them?!” he asked, sounding more awed than an old man had any right being. Yusei huffed, glaring up at the camera watching over the yard.

 

“Some stupid rule about not showing them. Every day they get me, it’s always ‘Fudou cover your tattoos’ and ‘Fudou you can’t show your arms’, it’s total bullshit! I don’t see anyone  _ else  _ having to cover up!” He growled quietly, kicking at a loose pebble. “I only get away with it in private because I don’t bunk with anyone, if I did I’d  _ never  _ get a break.” Crow raised an eyebrow, whistling lowly.

 

“Been keepin’ that locked up, bud?” he asked sarcastically. Yusei felt the tips of his ears warm, and he looked away, embarrassed. “Hey man, it’s alright. I totally get it, they’ve been on me about mine too. Maybe it’s just because we were a pain in their asses,” Crow snorted. If Yanagi’s eyes got any wider, Yusei swore they’d just fall straight out of his head. “But whatever, I don’t actually give two shits about the rule, I’m just not gonna be obvious about it because I’m not an idiot. Yanagi, you wanna see?” Crow asked, laughing quietly as the old man practically bounced in excitement. “Yo Yus’, we in a blind spot?”

 

Yusei nodded, keeping an eye on the guard watching the yard. Crow grinned, quickly lowering the zipper enough that he could free his left shoulder from the material. On his arm was a solid black design, made of curves and dots. “Woah.....and Bro has this one too?” Yanagi asked. Crow nodded, pulling his sleeve back on and zipping up again.

 

“Yeah, all four of us do. Jack came up with it, and we all got it as like a show of solidarity. But since it’s literally a gang sign, Security hates it. They don’t want any turf wars goin’ down in here,” Crow explained. Yusei nudged Crow with his foot, nodding to the guard heading their way. “Shit, gotta wrap this up. Don’t go spreading this, aight?” Yanagi nodded, shuffling away.

 

“Hogan, Fudou, what exactly are you two doing?” the guard asked, somehow looking down his nose at them despite being shorter than both of them. Yusei raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms.

 

“Oh you know, talking stocks,” Yusei muttered, but apparently not quiet enough. The guard gave him a sharp look, and Yusei winced slightly.

 

“You wanna spend another night in the hole, Fudou? Don’t get smart with me,” the guard warned. “You get one more chance to tell me what you two were doing, and if you know what’s good for ya you won’t lie to me. Got it?” he snapped.

 

Crow edged in between them slightly, probably sensing the tension. “We were just talking, sir. Honest,” he said. The guard snorted, tapping the nightstick at his side.

 

“I ain’t never had a problem from you before Hogan, but we’re about to have one now. Talking doesn’t involve undressing. The truth. Now,” he ordered. Yusei bit the inside of his cheek, forcing down every sarcastic comment that wanted to escape his mouth. There wasn’t a sense in starting things, not when he didn’t have the power to change anything.

 

“Fine, Yanagi just wanted to see my tattoo!” Crow spat, glaring at the guard. Unfortunately, this seemed to be the very thing he was waiting on, as the guard’s expression took on a particularly nasty tinge.

 

“Now, was that so hard? With me, Hogan. You know the rules,” he said, grinning maliciously. Yusei grit his teeth, the injustice chafing at his sense of morality. The blatant abuse of power, coupled with the sheer smugness of a man who knew he could get away with whatever he wanted, it pissed him off to no end. If only there was some way he could stop it, some way to change what was about to happen...

 

_ Do you want to change the world? _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so this was supposed to be my nano project but i only now started working on it lmao
> 
> character refs to come!


	2. Wani

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i totally didn't spend like half an hour looking up dragons for yusei's persona wym

_ Do you want to change the world? _

 

Yusei froze, looking around suspiciously. There wasn’t anyone close enough to whisper in his ear, not without him noticing. He frowned, balling his fists as he turned his attention back to Crow and the guard. Strangely, they seemed frozen in place, like time itself had stopped and left Yusei as the only one able to move. Blue light flickered at the edge of his vision, disappearing once he turned his head.

 

_ This world is unjust. _

 

Well yes, but there’s not really anything he could  _ do  _ about that. He’s just a Satellite, and an imprisoned Satellite at that. He had no power, no money, no influence,  _ nothing.  _ There’s no point dwelling on things he couldn’t do anything about, so why bother?

 

_ And if you  _ **_had_ ** _ the power? _

 

Then he’d do something. Really, what kind of question even was that? Obviously he’d do something, he’d never be able to forgive himself if he abandoned people to their fates, not when he’s seen firsthand what happens to those forgotten by the ones in power. 

 

_ And if you had the power to change things, would you be willing to harm the corrupt to make things right? _

 

.......He wouldn’t be happy about it, but if that were the only way, then yes. Corruption breeds corruption, and sometimes the only way to fix anything is to cut out the infected rot.

 

_ So you’d become another Kiryu? _

 

_ Never.  _ He’d  _ never  _ become another Kiryu. Despite his convictions, there was a difference between culling corrupted systems, and killing those who take part in said system. All that did was make you a part of the problem, not a part of the solution. Nothing could possibly be solved by an endless cycle of hate and violence. What he wanted wasn’t revenge, it was a  _ revolution.  _ He wanted to change how Satellite was treated, because no matter if you were from Satellite or Neo Domino, everyone was  _ human,  _ and everyone deserved to be treated with respect.

 

_ Good answer. Your convictions, your principles, they have been noted. Do you want my power, Fudou Yusei? To change the world, you need only reach out and  _ **_take it._ **

 

Yusei stopped, blinking in disbelief. Suddenly, he wasn’t sure. And yet, looking at Crow and the guard, still frozen in the middle of Crow being led away, pretty much made the decision for him. He closed his eyes, steeling his resolve. _ ‘Yes. I want your power.’ _

 

_ Then you shall have it. Reach within your heart and call my name. Tear off the shackles society imposed upon you, and free yourself. _

 

When Yusei opened his eyes again, the sun was gone. A large shadow blotted out the light, and when he looked up he saw fire. A dragon, almost as long as the yard, twisted around the clouds, its massive eye peering down at him. Yusei felt something tug at the skin of his face, and when he reached up to touch it he felt bone.  **_“Tear it off, Yusei,”_ ** a voice commanded, reverberating through his chest. He looked up, noticing the dragon seemed to be watching him intently. He hooked his fingers in between the mask and his face, tearing it away. His skin ripped and tugged, blood running into his eyes, and he barely bit back a scream. His mouth filled with the taste of blood as he almost bit through his lip, trying to keep his voice silent.

 

With a final tug, the mask came free. Yusei shook the blood away from his eyes, the fire in his heart renewed after three years of being snuffed out. When he spoke, it was with a smile on his face. “Wani, lend me your strength.” The dragon grinned, a fearsome thing more a baring of teeth than anything truly approaching joy.

 

**“With pleasure, Yusei. Now, return to your world, and relish your newfound freedom. Remember, though your power may be new, do not neglect your bonds.”** Yusei nodded, gaze set. He refused to let others suffer for his own mistakes. When he blinked again, the dragon was gone, and the world was once again in motion.

 

“—told you to get moving, Hogan! You wanna add another day for disobedience?!” the guard spat. Yusei stepped forward, just barely controlling his glare.

 

“Hey, leave him alone.” He ignored the shock from Crow, refusing to step aside again. “You and I both know Yanagi’s not in a gang, so showing him a tattoo wouldn’t cause a turf war.” Yusei raised an eyebrow at the guard’s seething, crossing his arms. “Unless there’s another reason for this?” He smiled mockingly, daring the man to speak up.

 

“Yusei, what’re you doing?!” Crow hissed, distressed. Yusei glanced at him, trying to convey with his eyes for him to calm down. It wasn’t going to be pleasant, but he had to get out of this situation if he wanted any chance of figuring out how to get out of the Facility, and bring his friends with him.

 

“You’re on thin ice Fudou. Step aside, and I’ll forget this happened,” the guard warned. Yusei snorted derisively, rolling his eyes. He was done stepping aside, thanks.

 

“Let him go, and I might. You don’t scare me, and I’m not the kind of guy who abandons his friends,” Yusei said firmly. The guard grit his teeth, letting go of Crow in favor of stepping towards Yusei threateningly. “Oh no, you’re closer now? Whatever will I do?” Yusei drawled sarcastically, trying to get Crow time to just  _ leave  _ already. “If it helps, you can say it was me that showed off. Forget Crow had anything to do with it. He just happened to be in the vicinity,” Yusei proposed. “The camera didn’t see shit, so it’s not like anyone could call you out for lying. You’d still get to punish someone. You literally can’t lose here.”

 

The guard, thankfully, seemed to be considering it. Judging by the markers on Crow’s face, and the tiny new dot next to the familiar M-shaped mark on his forehead, he wasn’t in for anything too serious. The mark still had a bit of irritation around it, irritation that was missing from the marks on his cheeks matching Yusei’s, so it couldn’t be anything more than larceny this go around. Apparently, they just got tired of Crow practically treating the Facility like it had a revolving door.

 

Finally, the guard nodded. Yusei relaxed his shoulders, tension he didn’t know he had until it was gone vanishing from his body. “Alright Fudou, I’ll take your deal.” He turned to Crow. “Hogan, get outta here before I change my mind.” When Crow looked ready to protest, Yusei subtly shook his head. Crow growled, but nodded, walking away. Yusei felt another knot in his stomach untwist, even as the guard re-cuffed him and led him inside. Not even the threat of days of isolation could dampen his spirits now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> idk what's happening i'm never this productive
> 
> also ooc-ness is inevitable. in a world without duelling and duel monsters, i've pretty much taken out a whole load-bearing pillar of yusei's canon personality. hopefully my shoddy construction work can create a character y'all still like


	3. Solitary

So maybe it could dampen his spirits a little bit. Somehow, Yusei had forgotten just how mind-numbingly _quiet_ it was here. Not even an hour in, and he could already hear his own heartbeat. Still, it wasn’t all bad. Now he had time to think on his new powers, desperately trying to convince himself it wasn’t some kind of fever dream. And yet, no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t go back to that other world, the one with the dragon.

 

Had it even happened? At this point, he wasn’t sure. Nobody else had seen it, and yet......he couldn’t deny he felt _lighter_ somehow. He frowned, staring up at the ceiling. What was going on......?

 

He sighed, rolling over to stare at the wall instead. _‘Nothing I can do about it...’_ he mused, letting his eyes drift shut. Sleeping sounded great right about now. Not like there was anything else he could do.

 

\--

 

_“This world is an unjust game. Open your eyes, Fudou Yusei, so you may learn the rules.”_

 

_A cell. Dirty walls framing a tiny window. Blink. Deep blue sky. Blink. Identical twins, wearing matching yukata. Blink. The dragon was back._

 

_Blink._

 

_“The cards are stacked against you. Will you take the hand, or will you make your own game?”_

 

_The girls were watching him, unnerving yellow eyes piercing through him. They grasped hands, disappearing in a flash of light. Where they once stood, a single girl took their place._

 

 _“Choose, Fudou Yusei. Choose, and choose wisely. Now._ **_Wake.”_ **

 

\--

 

Yusei jerked awake with a gasp, blanket twisted around his legs and a sheen of sweat making his clothing cling uncomfortably to his skin. It had been a long time since he’d had a nightmare, so he could only hope that he didn’t yell out without realizing it. Not like anyone would actually care if he did, though. They’d probably get some sort of sick pleasure out of  it, honestly.

 

He sighed, taking a moment to let his brain settle before sitting up. He stretched, wincing as his joints cracked like gunshots in the near-silent room. There should be food, if he’d slept long enough. A quick look at the door confirmed it, the tray sat haphazardly on the concrete floor in front of the door slot. Rice, fish, miso soup, and boiled celery. Seems he got B today, unfortunately. He made a slight face at the thought of the texture of the celery, but didn’t complain any more than that. Though he might not like the stringy vegetable, it was better than nothing.

 

Yusei sighed again, leaning down and scooping up the tray, beginning to eat. As he ate, he mulled over the strange dream he’d had. The dragon from earlier was in it, as well as the voice he’d heard right before opening his eyes in that strange shadow world. What he couldn’t figure out was who the girls were. He stared at the bit of fish in his chopsticks with unseeing eyes, brow furrowed in thought. In order to do anything, he had to first get out of the Facility. It wouldn’t be easy, especially with the tracker implanted in his cheek, but given enough time he could scramble the signal. He just had to get somewhere with a computer and have enough time to find the signal before Security was on his ass again. Maybe that shadow world could help?

 

He snorted quietly. Unlikely, and probably impossible to boot. He had no idea how to get to that world, didn’t even know what that world _was._ Although......what was that dragon’s name again? Wana? No...... _Wani._

 

**_Yes, Yusei?_ **

 

“JESUS WHAT THE _FUCK—”_ Yusei yelped, accidentally flipping his tray and sending soup and rice everywhere. The bowls clattered to the floor, probably scratched to hell from the concrete. And the worst part? Yusei could _feel_ a glimmer of amusement that _definitely_ wasn’t his. He laid a hand over his heart, peering around in the darkness. “Are you.....in my _head?”_ he asked, voice small.

 

**_Indeed. Kind of you to figure that out._ **

 

Yusei laughed breathlessly, shaking his head. “I’ve lost it......I’ve finally lost it. Jack warned me I would, too much time around Kiryu, too many knocks to the head.......being here probably didn’t help—!” he muttered, a small, disbelieving grin on his face.

 

**_You aren’t ‘losing it’, Yusei. Frankly, I’m offended you assume your imagination could dream up something like me._ **

 

Yusei snorted. “Great, yeah, that makes me feel _loads_ better,” he said sarcastically. A deep chuckle reverberated in his skull, making Yusei clutch his ears like the voice was rattling his brain.

 

**_It should. I’m a master of comedy._ **

 

Yusei shook his head, sucking his bottom lip between his teeth and gnawing on it anxiously. “Well, figment of my imagination or not, I still need help. I need to get out of here....” He laid back down on the bed, rolling over to face the wall. No need to tempt fate by talking escape plans in front of the camera. “Can that shadow world help?” he asked softly, speaking into his elbow.

 

**_It’s called the Metaverse. And yes, it should be able to. Why have you not yet accessed it?_ **

 

“Can’t. No idea how I got there in the first place. Besides, it’s useless if it means they can still track me,” he explained. Wani snorted, and Yusei could somehow tell they were grinning maliciously.

 

**_I think I can help you. All you need is a portal of some sort. Do not worry about the marker, the Metaverse will scramble the signal while you’re inside._ **

 

“Well, that’s a relief. And if I were to leave the Facility through the......Metaverse......when I exit, will I still be where I entered, or will I be outside?” he asked. It was an important question! “Oh yeah, does my body stay in the real world, or not?”

 

**_You will no longer be present in the real world, and so long as where you exit is outside the physical version of the Facility, you will indeed be outside._ **

 

Yusei hissed softly. That could be an issue. He’d probably have to leave a pillow dummy and hoof it. “Okay, gonna be difficult but doable. I probably won’t be able to get Crow out though......” He bit the inside of his cheek, thinking. “Yeah, I don’t know which of his trackers are active.....Although, he shouldn’t be in too much trouble, especially if I go _tonight._ Now, is there anything we can use as a portal in here?”

 

**_........You aren’t going to like it._ **

 

Yusei stilled, looking around the room. “Oh no......Wani please don’t tell me it’s the toilet.” Wani was silent. Yusei buried his face in his hands, shaking his head. “Of course it’s the fucking toilet.....”

 

**_Do YOU see any other pools of standing water in here, Mr. I-Need-To-Leave-Now?_ **

 

Yusei sighed, sitting up. “Well, I guess I _did_ kinda bring it upon myself, when you say it like that. Luckily, the camera doesn’t face that corner.” He scooted out of bed, carefully sidestepping the puddle of soup on the floor. “Actually, wait. Standing water?”

 

**_Yes, a pool of standing water._ **

 

“Would the soup broth work?”

 

**_..........Is it mostly water?_ **

 

“I doubt they spend the time to make us the good stuff, so yeah, probably. It’s got shit dissolved in it, but that shouldn’t stop it from being water.”

 

**_Then yes, it should work. Go stand in the puddle._ **

 

Yusei did as told, not even caring his feet were going to smell like sardines. He narrowly avoided death by toilet water.

 

**_Close your eyes. When you open them, you’ll be in the Metaverse. Tread carefully, there’s Shadows about._ **

 

* * *

 

 

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yusei narrowly avoided death by toilet water
> 
> Edit 5/28/19: here's a ref of yusei!


	4. Ancient Gear Hound

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the long wait! july was a very very busy month for me orz

Just as Wani had said, when Yusei opened his eyes the normal metal of the solitary confinement cell was gone. In its place was rough-hewn stone walls, with the only opening being a small circle of light at the top of the room. It took him a second, but he had to laugh when he finally realized  _ why  _ he was in what looked like a stone pit. He was  _ literally  _ “in the hole”. Fortunately, there were no more cameras.  _ Unfortunately,  _ there wasn’t a door anymore either. He groaned softly, scowling at the walls. Climbing wasn’t the problem, it’s that he was three years out of practice with it.

 

In Satellite, getting anywhere fast required a certain level of skill in parkour. Especially since owning any sort of vehicle in Satellite was illegal, officially due to the lack of road integrity, but everyone knew it was just so that Security had an easier time chasing people down. That didn’t stop some people from illegally buying and/or building a vehicle of some sort—Yusei himself had been working on a motorbike before his arrest; it was just rare. The point is, it wasn’t  _ hard  _ to climb the walls. He was just out of practice. Still, it wasn’t something he was looking forward to.

 

Yusei ran a hand over the wall, noting where the dips and protrusions were, before steeling himself and starting to climb. It felt sort of symbolic in a way, though he’d never admit it even under pain of death. For the first time in three years, he was fighting back against the very corruption that led them to starting the Enforcers in the first place. He’d grown complacent, settling in and accepting the treatment he was given out of some desire to not rock the boat. He’d figured that even if they were treating him badly, the benefits (if they could even be named as such) were enough to take it. What happened to the Yusei who stood up against bullies, no matter the personal cost? What happened to the Yusei who’d earned his name, who earned the right to call himself his own man?

 

If he was being honest.....he was disgusted in his own weakness. He didn’t deserve to be Fudo, not right now. Until he found his spine again, he was back to just being Yusei. Briefly, he thought about going back to being Yusei Varela, but he discarded the thought almost as quickly as he’d had it. If he was too much of a coward to deserve Fudo, what gave him the right to even  _ think  _ of tainting Martha’s name with his inadequacy? No, better to just be Yusei for now, and take back Fudo once he’d earned it. Though that did remind him, once he got a chance he should probably contact Martha somehow. To her, he must’ve just suddenly dropped off the face of the Earth. She might even think he was dead, which......didn’t sit right with him. No, better to let her know he was alive, though he’d have to be sure to mention that he couldn’t come back to Satellite yet.

 

There was too much to do here in the City, after all.

 

\--

 

After a solid ten minutes or so of climbing, Yusei finally pulled himself out of the pit. Now back in the light, he hissed softly as his eyes adjusted. The room itself wasn’t very brightly lit, but after the almost absolute darkness of the pit, it was like he’d suddenly met the sun. He shook his head, looking around as his eyes finally adjusted, raising an eyebrow at the decor. The walls were made of bamboo and rice paper, forming a very,  _ very  _ traditional style building. On the floor next to the pit, there was a pulley system with a tray, likely how food was lowered to prisoners. Other than that, the large enclosed courtyard-style room seemed to be empty. Yusei frowned. He knew for a fact that there was more than one isolation cell in this block in the real world, so why was this the only one here in the Metaverse? It just didn’t make sense.

 

He sighed, shaking his head. No time to worry about it now. He had to get out of here. He shelved that thought and instead started looking for an exit. One section of wall seemed to be slightly more uneven in its panelling, a hiccup in an otherwise perfectly uniform room. He crept over to it—overly aware of both the empty room and the odd holes in the floor—and looked it over. The panel seemed to be a hidden door, the edge of the door just barely visible against the next panel. He pulled it back slowly, mindful not to go too quickly or it’d slam open. Although he was in the Metaverse now, he figured that there would still be guards around, especially since this......wherever he was, seemed to be some sort of manifestation of the Facility itself. And besides that, it really was better safe than sorry. Some instincts never left you, after all.

 

Silently, he crept out of the room, sticking close to the wall. The hallway was made of that same rice paper and bamboo as the room with all the holes, the thin walls showing shifting shadows where the light from the plain hanging lanterns hit them. At the end of the hallway stood a guard, taller than Yusei and dressed not in the grey military-style jumpsuit he was used to seeing on the guards, but rather a rather elaborate set of chain armor that he’d seen a picture of in one of the older history textbooks Martha had managed to obtain. If he’d needed any more proof that he wasn’t in the Facility anymore, this was it. Quickly, he checked himself for weapons, noting in surprise that his clothing had changed as well.

 

Now, rather than the burnt orange short sleeved jumpsuit he’d been kitted out with, he was wearing two pieces of clothing again. He wore thick work jeans held up by a sturdy leather belt, tucked into a pair of knee-high motorcycle boots. His hands were covered with thick leather welding gloves, with reinforcement on the knuckles. His shoulders were bare, and a quick inspection with his fingers showed he was wearing some sort of vest, maybe with a furred collar, over a sleeveless shirt. A pang of nostalgia for the old Enforcers uniform settled in his gut, before he shook his head and resumed his inspection. On his head was what felt like a motorcycle helmet with two prongs extending out of the top, near the back of his head. Unfortunately, nothing that he could use as a weapon had been found, so he’d just have to trust the gloves to do some damage. Further inspection had to wait, however, because he still had to get  _ out.  _

 

He crept up behind the guard, noting that it was glancing down the hallway every now and then, but never behind it. While watching the guard, Yusei noticed that it seemed bored, fidgeting in place occasionally, but never actually  _ leaving  _ its post. Not for the first time, he cursed his prior complacency, as he now had absolutely no idea when the shift changed over. He’d have to be content with a quick peek down the hallway, making sure he wasn’t seen by the guard. Once he was certain nobody was coming, Yusei crept up behind the guard, boots surprisingly silent on the stone floor. He reached up slowly, before quickly snapping forward and dragging the guard into a chokehold. He covered the guard’s mouth with his free hand, ignoring the scrabbling at his arm, and pulled him back into the hallway where they wouldn’t be seen. The guard’s struggling slowed and stopped, his arm dropping limp to his side. Yusei quickly released him, accidentally getting a finger caught under the lip of a mask the guard wore, tearing it off the guard’s face as he did so. The mask clattered to the ground, where it was quickly swallowed up by arcs of shadows and ink. The guard transformed from vaguely-humanoid to bestial, taking the form of a large, drooling dog with armoured gears encircling its joints and a dingy green helmet covering its eyes. Right now, the dog was dazed, but not for much longer.

 

Yusei didn’t waste time worrying about the sudden shift. He had only seconds before the guard woke up, less if the dog was more robust than the human, and he had to act fast. So without wasting a second, he planted his fist into the dog’s maw, knocking its head to the side with a vicious-sounding  _ crack.  _ The dog yipped as the metal made an echoing clang when Yusei’s knuckles hit it, seeming to shake off its previous state of daze. Yusei cursed under his breath, shaking out his hand and taking a quick step back. The dog growled, lunging forward, teeth bared. Yusei dodged quickly, but the hallway was narrow and his ribs got clipped, sending the breath out of his lungs in a great  _ woosh.  _

 

He gasped for air, wincing at the blossoming bruise. This dog hurt him that much with only a glancing blow, and he wasn’t looking forward to what the fight would be like with more direct damage. He wasn’t stupid—he knew his punch did jack squat to the dog. So it was time to try something new. Almost on instinct, he reached up under the edge of his helmet, ripping it off over his head in one fluid motion, roaring out as he did so.  **_“WANI, AQUES!”_ **

 

A great spout of icy water shot forth from behind him and hit the dog square in the face, accompanied by a loud roar from somewhere above him. The dog screamed(?) in pain, the armor over its eyes getting ripped away with the force. It didn’t seem to have any eyes, at least none that were immediately visible, as it lay on the ground, dazed from Wani’s attack. Yusei quickly rushed in, clocking the dog again on its now exposed skull, jumping back as it dissolved into a puddle of shadows. He approached the puddle cautiously, eyes widening when he noticed something left behind where the dog once stood. More specifically, several bills, a 100 yen coin, and a granola bar. He quickly pocketed the loot in a pouch on his belt, almost giddy at the thought of a reward. He’d never held this much money  _ ever,  _ and felt a bit overwhelmed. To distract himself, he glanced at the mask he still held in his hand.

 

It was a helmet, like he’d previously assumed, but only a three-quarter face with a retractable tinted visor for eye protection. It was dark red, with white lines detailing sharp angles on the helmet, making it look almost like a dragon’s head.  _ “Nice.....”  _ he breathed, admiring the finish on the helmet. He had one similar back home in Satellite, but nothing this well made. He spent another minute admiring it, before getting distracted by a chuckle behind him He jumped, whirling around to come face to.....snout(?) with a strangely crocodile-like dragon. “W-Wani.....?” he asked. The crocodile-dragon nodded, grinning at him with its misshapen teeth. “You’re.....a lot smaller than I thought,” he said lamely. The dragon snorted, waving one clawed paw in dismissal.

 

“I’m more crocodile than dragon, it’s a long story. The point is, you have to get moving. That was only one Shadow, there’s bound to be more,” it (he?) said, voice calmer and less...... _ rumbly _ now that they were speaking in person. It almost sounded like music, if music were a voice. “You need to go if you want any chance at escape. I’ll be right here with you. If you ever have need of me, just remove your mask and call my name. Remember; though our shapes may differ, I’m  _ you,”  _ he said, poking Yusei in the chest with one scaly, gentle claw. Yusei could only nod, dumbfounded, as he pulled the helmet back on and watched Wani disappear on the wind, leaving behind the faint scent of river water.

 

“So weird.....”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'll put up a ref of yusei's metaverse outfit later, but for now imagine his canon outfit, but with the enforcers vest instead of his jacket, all black gloves, and his duel runner helmet
> 
> aques is a real spell from persona 2 and persona 2 golden; it's a medium damage water type spell that targets one enemy. the enemy was ancient gear hunting hound (or antique gear hound dog, if you follow the original japanese) which is a real card used in yugioh GX, yugioh 5ds, and yugioh arc-v. i'm gonna make all the enemies in this palace (except for the warden, but he comes later) variants of the ancient gear archetype, because 1) their hp is already there all neatly laid out for me, and 2) i really liked the ancient gear decks that obelisk force used when i watched arc-v
> 
> also for the rewards: yusei got 5600 yen and a granola bar. i had this little metric to see what he'd get, then rolled a d20.
> 
> Rewards (Cumulative):  
> 1 (crit fail): nothing  
> 2-5: 100 yen (about 0.92 USD)  
> 6-10: Healing item (granola bar in this chapter)  
> 11-15: 500 yen (about 4.60 USD)  
> 16-20: 5000 yen (about 46 USD)
> 
> yusei, the lucky bastard, rolled a 19, so I gave him everything, which rounds out to about $51.53 USD. not a lot (hell, i just got my first paycheck today and it was about 10x that amount, and i work at a _clothing store!)_ but to a kid who grew up in the slums with only scraps he had to fight over? it's a LOT of money.


End file.
